Knitting-machine.



P. P. LA MONTAGNE. KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATIQN FILED IAN-6| I913- Patenmd Nov. 27, 1917.

z'sucns-snin 2.

[IIIIL UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PATRICK IQL A MONTAGNE, 0F BOURBONNAIS, ILLINOIS, ABSIGNOB TO PQAHO'UN'I. KNITTING COMIPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letter: Patent.

KNITTING-MACHINE.

Patented Nov. 27. 1917.

Application filed January 6,-1918. fi erial lio. 740,811.

resident of Bourbonnais, county of Kankakee, State of Illinois, have invented an Improvement in Knitting-Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

In the production of tubular knitted fabric wherein a change -is made in some part or parts thereof from plain to ribbed fabric, as for instance in stockings which have lain foot and ankle portions and ribbed eg'portions, a series of holes or openings is formed in the fabric along the line where the change fromplain to ribbed work is effected, unless some rovision is made to reduce the size of such holes so that they will not be sufiiciently obvious to mar the appearance of the fabric.

Various means have been devised, with more or less success, to overcome the defect mentioned, but so far as I am aware objectionable features of one kind or another are connected with the means heretofore employed, either in the way of increased cost of production or in the character of the resultant fabric.

My present invention has for its object the production of mechanism for making a knitted fabric of the character before re ferred to, that is, wherein a change is made from plain to ribbed work, but without ob jectionable holes along the line where the change-occurs from the one to the other specified kind of work.

In the present practical embodiment of my'invention I have arranged and constructed the mechanism for use in an automatic knitting machine adapted to knit the complete article, such as a stocking, entirely automatically, and herein I have shown my invention embodied in a machine having two usual sets of needles, such as the dial and cylinder needles, a machine of this general 1; pc being shown in ate'nt 'to Hose and use, Reissue No. 1291 dated Februar 9, 1909. The cylinder needles knit the plain portion ofthe work in well known manner, and when ribbed work is to be made the second set of needles, as the dial needles, is

thrown into action and the machine coeds with rib knitting for the requued number of courses.

Where the character of the work chat es from plain to ribbed the openings or ho es above referred to areformed, under ordinary conditions, and in accordance with my present invention I prevent such hole formation to any objectionable extent b a eculiar manipulation of the stitcharming devices.

It' will be understood to those skilled in the knitting art that in a machine of the type referred to the thread or yarn isv delivered to the needles, whether cylinder or dial, by a suitable yarn carrier, and the length of the loops formed by the c linder needles in plain knitting is 'contro led or governed by the distance the c linder needles are retracted below the annu ar upper edge or curb of. the cylinder, across which curb the previously formed round or course is supported.

Each new loop is drawn through one of i the previously formed and supported loops when the needle is retracted, and to shorten the loops in process of formation the needle cylinder may be lowered or the cylinderneedle cam may be raised with respect to the normal position thereof, such change in:

spaces between two adjacent loops in the last course formed b the plain or cylinder nee-4 dles, each hole eing. of a length equal to substantially twice the length of a normal loop. In other words, one end of such a hole is made by the bight of the loop fortncdb a ribbing needle in the first course of rib work while the other end of the hole is made by the yarn connecting the bases of two n.d-. jacent c finder-needle 100 s in the course 0 plain work. I ave that the length of such holes can be S0' di-.- minishefis as to be unobjectionable in the completed fabric by shortening the loops formed by the cylinder-needles for one,

course, or more, before the dial needles are thrown into action, and preferably by also forming one course, or more, of abnormally short loopsb both sets of needles when the ribbing need es are first thrown into action.

This formation of the course or courses of abnormally short loops by the cylinderneedlesis effected at the relative axial movement 0 the cylinder-needle cam toward each other, and the formation of the course or courses of abnormally short loops by both sets of needles is effected by arelative axial movement of the said cam and the dial toward each other,

In theparticular embodiment of my invention herein illustrated the change in the normal relationship between the cylinder and the cylinder-needle cam to effect the desired shortening of the loops or stitches at the termination of plain knltting is brought about by lowering the cylinder. Similarly, the change in the normal relationship between said cam and the dial to cause the formation of the shorter stitches or loops by both sets of needles, in the first portion of ribbed work, is brought about'by lowering the dial toward the cam, but it is to be understood that the structure shown and described herein is illustrative, and is not for the purpose of limitation of my invention.

It thus appears that to accomplish the desired results in the knit fabric I effect in sequence, a change in the normal axiallrelationship between the cylinder and the cylinder-needle cam, and between said cam and the dial,-each change being effective, in the present embodiment of m invention, to shorten the loops or stitclies in a single courl'ise, one of plain and'the other of ribbed wor 1proper time by a The normal relationship between the cylinder and the oam is restored at an time convenient prior to the resum tion 0 plain knitting; for during ribbing t e stitches are drawn from the level of the dial needles, and not over the' curb of the cylinder, but normal relationship between the said cam and the dial is in the present instance restored mal plain 'knittingfto normal ribbed knitting, and as the loops in such change courses are abnormally short the yarn therein extend's' in more nearly straight lines around thefabric and across the spaces or holes which otherwise would be formed, thereby so closing up or diminishing the length of the cylinder and work are formed.

the same that they are not noticeable in practice. In knit fabric where such holes show plainly the fabric at the 'oint'between plain and-ribbed work is in act less firm than the rest of the fabric, but in the fabric produced in accordance with my invention that portion thereof at the joint between plain and ribbed work is as firm as any other portion of the fabric.

While I have herein shown the mechanism arranged to produce a chan e course of plain work and a succeeding c ange course of ribbed work it will be readily understood that a slight change in the controlling means would vary the o oration according to circumstances. In the case of a fabric which is ve to tig ten the fabric by forming, say, two courses with the abnormally short loops before commencing ribbing, and to tighten the fabric by formlng the first two courses of ribbed work with abnormally short loops. Thus, the two abnormal courses of plain work would be formed before the ribbing needles are thrown into action, and the normal relationship between the dial and the cylinder-needle cam would not be restored until the two abnormal courses of ribbed If the character of the fabric is such that the last course of plain work cannot be tightened conveniently, as described, it would be desirable to make the course of ribbed work with the abnormally short loops, and vice versa.

As it is very diflicult to start and stop any change on the same needle a course or round may not be exact, in that respect, and hereinafter in referring to the termination or completion of a course or round the phraseology is used in its general meaning, andv does not mean starting and stopping the course on one and the same needle.

The various novel features of my invention will be full described in the subjoined portion of an automatic circular knitting machine, with one practical 'formjof my present invention embodied thereln, the

parts being positioned for the production of plain knitting;

Fig, 2'. is an enlar ed vertical diametral I section taken throng the needle cylinder and the'dial, to more clearly illustrate the novel features of my invention, the cylinder and dial'being shown in their normal relationship to the cylinder-needle cam;

Fig. 3 isa greatly enlarged view of a piece of knit fabric at the junction of the plain it dial plate when the dial needles are thrown into action and the first course of ribbed work is to be formed. v a As will appear hereinafter I closeup or decrease the size of the spaces or holes without the use ofan extra yarn at the change .courses and without makin a change in either face of the fabric at t he junction of the plain and ribbed portions thereof, both modes of procedure havingbeen devised -=heretnilio.m,..7......v I

Referring to Fig. 1 the legs 1, top 2 and central tie-plate 3 constitute a suita le supporting frame for the various instrumentalities' which make up the complete ma- 30, chine.

" The needle cylinder is Fig. 2, and 5 is the dial plate, said parts and their respective needles and adjuncts "being referred to hereinafter in detail in connection with Fig. 2. v

The main shaft 6 has fast and loose pulleys 7, 8, a belt-shifter 9 bein fulcrumed at 10 on a bracket '11, the sai belt-shifter being actuated in any suitable manner, forming no part of my invention.

1 An auxiliary shaft 17 is mounted transversely nearthe top of the frame in suitable bearings and is driven from the main shaft 6 by usual connections, not herein shown.

Suitable attern mechanism herein shown comprises tlie barrel 18, (provided with cam surfaces and pins) carried by a pattern shaft 19 journaledin standards 20, one of which isshownfon the tie-plate 3, a pattern chain 147, a sprocket wheel 148 loosely 'mountedlonthe shaft 19, a pawl 151, and suitable operatin I mechanism actuated from the main shaft, a it similar in general to corresponding partsin United'States Patent No. 726,178 ranted to Mayo April 21, 1903, to which re erence may be had.

The knitted web is indicated in outline at 21, Fig. ljand extends from the interior of the needl cylinder vertically downwardand about an idler roll 22 mounted on a stand 23 fixed to the floor, the .Web passing'thence around aroll 24. on the shaft 25 journaled in. suitable brackets 26. it Said roll 24 is in practice roughened, as

indicated at 4',

by a covering of sand paper or eme cloth, to grip the web, the latter being eld in contact with the roll 24 by the Weight of a 7 roll 28 mounted in slotted bearings in'the brackets 26.

The shaft '25 is driven frictiorlally to insure the drawing of the knitted web through the machine, while preventing more tensi on than is necessary forthe purpose.

Herein this frictional drive is eifected by a belt 31 connecting pulleys 29 and 30 on the shafts 17 and 25 respectively, and when there is any amount of peripheral resistance at the roll 24 the belt Wlll slip on oneor the other of the pulleys.

So much of-the general mechanism has been described as isnecessary to a 'proper understanding thereof,- and I will now de scribe in detail the novel features of my present invention in connection with certain well known structural devices.

Referring to Fig. 2 the needle cylinder A has its lower end extended into acylindrical casing 40 depending from the top 2 of the main. frame, the cylinder having a slight axial movement in the casing, and at its lower end the casing has an inturned annular shoulder 41 upon which the needle cylinder may seat when it is positioned abnormally with relation to the cylinder-needle cam, but under normal conditions the cylinder is raised above the shoulder, as shown.

The top 2 is socketed at the upper end of the casing, at 42, to receive the'rotatable cam ring 43, provided with usual: beveled ,100 gear teeth'44 for engagement with, a beveled gear 45, Fig. 1, by or through which" the camring is revolved in usual manner.

The external annular enlargement 46 at the upper end of the casing 40 forms a support for and u on which the cam ring revolves, the cylin er-needle cam 47 being interposed'between the c linder needles and the thickened base 48 o the revoluble cam ring 43, and the latter is positively connected with the cam 47 by a suitable screwbolt 49, as clearly shown in Fig; 2.

The butts 51 of the cylinder. needles 52 enter a groove 53 in the cam 47 in usual manner, said needles being shown as having hooks 54 and usual latches 55.

From an inspection of Fig. 2 it will be apparent that if the needle cylinder is lowered toward the flange or shoulder 41- the distance between the upper edgeor curb 50 1 of the cylinder and the hooked end of a retracted cylinder-needle will be less than the normal distance, and consequently a stitch or loop shorter than normal will be formed by any cylinder needle when re-'1 tracted by the rotation of the cam 47 in the formation of plain knitting.

Rotation of the cam ring Will rotate the cam 47 to effect the proper operation of the cylinder needles whether the needle cylin- 18 cal movements of the need es will be chan ed with relation to the stub of the cylin er, and retraction of the needles will draw down short or abnormal loops.

In Fig. 2 .theplane of the path in which the yarn is delivered to the needles is indicated by the broken line A+B, the yarn 56 being shown as fe by a usual yarn-carrier 57, which has a c' cular motion about the axis of the needle cylinder and dial, in well known manner.-

When plain knitting is being performed the dial needles are retracted and inoperative and the needle cylinder is positioned as shown in Fig. 2, that is, the cylinder and the cylinder-needle cam 47 occupy their usual or normal relative positions in a machine of the character herein referred to, the knitted web passing down through the cylinder and at the stitch forming point it is supported on the annular upper edge or curb of said cylinder.

To effect the relative axial movement of the cylinder and cam 47 toward each other to abnormal position, as hereinbefore referred to, I have in this embodiment of my invention made provision for lowering the needle cylinder when the last course of plain knitting is to be formed, just before the dial needles are thrown into action, and while any suitable means may be employed for the purpose I have shown herein one simple form of such means.

Referring to Fig. 2 the casing 40 has fixed to it a depending bracket 60 in which is mounted a horizontal rock shaft 61 having secured to'it an'inturned too 62 which extends beneath a vertically movable headed stud 63 loosely mounted in'a counterbored hole in the casing shoulder 41 and engaging the lower end of the needle cylinder 4.

The rock shaft 61 also has fixedly secured to it a preferably circularly curved arm 64 which extends under the shoulder 41 but out of the way of the knitted web, the free end of said arm having attached to it a depending link 65, Figs. 1 and 2, the lower end of which constitutes a follower 66 which'rests upon a cam ring 67 on the pattern cylinder 18, the ring having a depression orlow portion 67 When said cylinder in its rotation brings the depression 67 under the follower 66 the latter and the link 65 will be lowered, and

through the arm 64 the shaft 61 will be rocked to depress the toe 62.

This permits the stud 63 and the needle cylinder 4 to descend a short distance, according to the amount the stitch is to'b'e shortened, as shown in Fig. 5, such lowering of, the cylinder being timed,to take eseet The cam ring67 is so shaped as to main- I tain the needle cylinder in abnormal position while the first change course of plain knitting is formed, and to restore the cylinder to normal position at any time'before the resumption of normal Upon the completion of the first or primary change course the dial needles :8 are thrown into action to form the secondary. change course of ribbed knittin but as this course is formed with abnorma y shortened loops, as hereinbefore stated, it is ne(':-- -=;l."i to lower the dial 5 and its adjuncts to\ 9rd the cylinder-needle cam. 47 either before or just as the dial needles are thrown into action.

Referring to Fig. 5 the parts are shown positioned for the secondary change course. the cylinder 4 being still in its. lowered or abnormal position with relation to the cam 47, and the dial 5 is lowered to its abnormal position with relation to said cam, to sub stantially the dotted line position indicated in Fig. 2.

So, too, in Fig. 5, a cylinder needle is shown projected, and one of the dial needles is shown projected, the said needles being positioned for ta'kin the yarn 56 to form a loop of ribbed wori.

The revoluble cam 59 which controls the movements'of the dial needles is of usual construction and is operated in any usual or well lmown manner.

- During the formation of the secondary course 0 ribbed work the stitches or loops will be shorter than normal stitches because plain knitting.

of the lowering of the dial and its adjuncts toward the cam 47 for during ribbing loops are drawn from the level of the dial needles.

The dial and its adjuncts are returned to table post 80 on which the dial 5 secured is capable of a slight axial movementyand the upperend of the post has an annularly grooved collar 81 fast thereon, to coiiperate with the oke-like end 82 of a lever-arm s3 fulcrume at 84 on an upright 85 rigidly mounted on the top 2. I

A link 86 is pivotally connected with the lever-arm 83 between its ends at 87 and deends therefrom, its lower end constituting a ollower which travels upon a cam-ring 88 on the pattern cylinder 18, said cam-ring having a suitable depression indicated at 88',

* a with short loops, whereupon the high part of the cam-ring 88 will immediately restore the parts specified to normal position.

The showing of the cam-rings 67 and 88 in Fi 1 is merely diagrammatic, and only for illustrative purposes.

' From the foregoing description it will now be'understood that when a change is to be made in the fabric from plain to ribbed work the last course of plain work will be formed with abnormally shortened loops,

collstituting What I have termed the primary change course, and the next or secondary change course will be ribbed work but with abnormally shortened loops, regular or normal ribbed work being formed immediately upon the completion of the secondary change course. Byreference now to illustrations of knitted fabric the effect of the operations hereinbe'fore described will be readily understood 'Beferring to Fig. 4, where a piece of knitted fabric is shown composed of ordinary plain and ribbed work, the loops or stitches constituting the plain work are indicated at 70, and the set of loops 71 indicate the course ordinarily connecting the plain work with the ribbed work, the latter being indicated by'the row of loops 72.

It will be seen that the loops of the connecting course 71 are of the same length as the plain loops 70 and the ribbing loops 72, and ti" spaces or holes 73 formed. b the change from plain to ribbed Work rzrequal in length to two of the loops 70 or T 4-1, due

to the fact that the loops of the connecting course are of normal length.

Turning now to Fig. 3, which is a similar illustration of a piece of knitted fabric made in accordance with my present invention, the

lain loops or stitches of normal length are indicated at 74 and the normal ribbing loops, which are of the same length, are indicated at 75', but it'will be noted that the i loops 76 and 77 of the. primary and secondary change courses respectively, which intervene between and connect the last round or.course of normal plain loops 74 and the first round or course of normal ribbing loops 75, are very much shorter, so much shorter. in actual practice that the yarn constituting the change courses extends in nearly straight lines across the fabric.

The loops are of course exaggerated and opened out in bo-th'Figs. 3 and 4-in order to enable the formation of the fabric to be understood.

7 Still' referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the shortening of the loops of the two change courses not only reduces the actual length of the spaces 78 but also causes the bights of the loops '77 which cross said spaces 7 8 to cross at a point substantially midway between the ends thereof, with the resultant effect that in practice the spaces are so diminished in appearance and size as to be substantially indistinguishable from the normal loop interstices 79 throughout the fabric.

Hence in the completed fabric I obviate the formation of objectionable holes or spaces,'-such as 73, Fig. 4, and this most desirable improvement is effected without the use of an extra yarn, or yarns, and without changing in any way the ordinary aspect of either face of the fabric.

. It will be understood as in Fig. the hooks 54 of the cylinder needles will when netracted draw down loops shorter than normal loops, for the retracted position of such a hook is at such "time nearer the plane of the idial needles.

The two change courses knit with abnormal or shortened loops serve to make as firm a fabric at the joint between lain and ribbed portions of the web as are t ose ortions, which is an improvement in itsel as thereby the fabric is practically homogeneous as regards firmness.

It will be understood from the foregoing description of the operation of the mechanism that as soon as the secondary change course is completed the stitch-forming instrnmentalitics return to normal operation,

the formation of ribbed work-being continued with both sets of needles as long as may be desired.

The additional mechanism for bringing about the desired'results is very simple, and adds but little to the knitting machine as a whole.

. Inasmuch as various devites, may be employed to bring about the temporary and that the shortening of the loops 77 forming the secondary ositioned abnormal operation of the knitting or stitch- I forming instrumentalities my invention is not restricted to the precise construction, arrangement and operation herein shown and described, for various changes or modifica tions may be made by those skilled in theart without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forthin th claims hereunto annexed.

Having fully described -my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with the dial and cylinder, and

their needles, adapted to be operated to ro-\ duce plain or ribbed work, and a c lin erneedle cam, of a support for the need e cylinder, in which the latter is movable vertically,

and automatically actuated means to lower the needle cylinder toward the said cam I just before the dial needles are thrown into beinn the dial needles are thrown into action and decrease'the distance between said dial and action, to cause the cylinder needles to form a course of plain knltting with abnormally short loops at the termination of normal plain work, said automatically operated means restoring the cylinder tq its normal position relatively to the cam prior to the resumption of plain knitting.

2. In a circular knitting machine, a der and its needles, a concentric, revolnble cam to actuate said needles to produce plain work, a dial and its needles, the dial needles. adapted to 006 erate with the cylinder es to roduceri bed work, the dial and need e1ng capable of relative axial said cam movement, and. automatically controlledmeans to effect such relative movement when cam during the first course knit by both sets cylin- ,two subscribing witnesses.

of needles, whereby such course will be formed by. loops shorter than normal, said meansrestoring said cam and dial to normal position at the completion of the'course, whereby subsequent ribbed courses-will be formed by loops of-normal len h.

3. In a circular knitting mac no, in eombination, a non-rotatable, axially movable dial and its needles, a non-rotate le axially movablecylinder and its needles, the two vsets of needles a'da ted to form plain or rib- .bed work, a contro ling cam -for'the cylinder needles, means to cause the dial to move axially toward and away from said cam, I

thereby to vary the length -of-tlie' loops formed when'the-dial nee les are in action,

said means maintaining the dial in abnormal position relative to the said cam while the initial ribbed course is being knit, to provide for the formation of abnormally short loops therein, means cofiperating with the needle cylinder to move it axially toward the cylinder-needle cam 'just before the dial needles are thrown 1ntoaction, to form a course adjoining the normal plain work but having abnormally short loops, and a pattern mechanism to govern the operationrof both of said means, the rimary change course of plain knitting an vthe adjacent secondary-change course of ribbed knitti cooperating to prevent thefonnation'of ho es or spaces between normal plain and ribbed work. 1

In testimony whereof, I have signed .my name to this specification in the presence of PATRICK P.- LA MQNTAG'NE. Witnesses: r I i i HENRY Porn DUNCAN MclEwAN. 

